Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-11-18
sNAKE RIVER COMPANY
Avalanche.

l
Pany that is now damming the Bru
neau river, with the view Of tak;,,
out a canal to convey water in sufI;
c'ent quantities to irrigate tract 0
land lying south of Snake river i,
.nis county, and extending dowr
Snake river from the mouth Of Bru
neau to Castle creek, a distance o
about thirty miles. While on Bru
neau, few days, since, we improved
tne opportunity, and visited the dan
which is now in course of construc.
tlon' and nearly completed, unde,
the management of Mr.. Wv. Phil.
lips OF Providence, r. I. Arriving
al the dam, after a ride of about two
miles through the canyon, whose sides
seemed hundreds of feet high, we
found Mr.. Phillips, very intelligent
and affable gentleman of about fifty
years OF age standing on the dam,
experimenting the work. With the
difhdence possessed by all newspaper
men, we made ourself known to that
gentleman, who at once took in the
situation, and very kindly showed us
around the premises, and over the
dam, and admonishing us to draw
what we had to say about the con.
struction of the dam and canal, and
the purposes for which they are to
be used, mildly, he informed us that
he expected the dam to be completed
this month; that when finished it
will be 800 feet from bulkhead to
bulkhead, so feet wide at the base,
and 10 feet at the top, and 80 feet in
height from the bed of the river to
top of dam or water line. Fifty thou
sand cubic inches of water will be
utilized, and will be conducted by
the canal, which will divert the water
at the dam about two miles above
the mouth of Bruneau river, on the
plains of Snake river. The canal
will be 80 feet wide on the bottom
and 40 feet on top. The canal will
be extended to Castle creeks but the
work will not be done this year, as
the company do not propose to dc
the work rapidly, bat will proceed
slowly, and will probably do some
thing at farming, and sell water to
those who may locate land on line OF
canal. The company has also re-
served water enough to drive ma
chlnery of 1900 horse power for mil
ling ranching ETC., etc., to be taken
out ON the east side of the river.
The Snake river company was organ
lied and incorporated under the laws
of the state OF Rhode Island, and has
many stock holders, residents of Bos-
ton. There are now about twenty
men at work on the dam, and in
throwing hay and sagebrush IN the
river to close the cracks. The water
had already been backed for half a
mile, to depth of about ten feet at
the dam. When the dam is COM
pleted, the water will be backed for
about two miles, to where the Bru-
neau river enters the canyon. This
will afford the Bruneauites sailing
pond two miles long, by about 200
yards wide. AS soon as the dam is
completed work will begin on the
canal, which has already been par
TALLY dug for mile or more. This
enterprise is one of the grandest ever
undertaken i'll Owyhee county, and
will add greatly to the wealth of
Owyhee, by inducing immigration
here, where thousands of farms can
be had for filing on them. The
scheme was doubtless we'll considered,
before the Snake river company ever
invested dollar, and the stock hold
ers know well that they will receive
dollars, for every dollar invested
Besides the mere selling of water a
wooIen factory can be established,
which could supply all the demands
of Idaho, and adjoining Territories
The company can also raise hay
enough to feed thousands of head o.
stock, and as the stock business pays
we'll. where feed can be raised, as il
can along the banks of Snake river
in the course of short time. thi:
company may engage in that business
also.
THERE is great necessity of
packing house at this place. Their